He closed the heavy leather binder with a soft thud.

“In the meantime, you must go home and act like your world has ended. If he calls you, cry. If he texts you, don’t answer immediately. Let him think you are paralyzed by grief.”

“What about Kayla?” I asked.

“She is the key,” Jerome said. “She wants his money. She will be pushing him to finalize the divorce. When you delay, she will get frustrated. And frustrated people make mistakes.”

I stood up, my knees slightly shaky but my mind clearer than it had been in weeks.

“Thank you, Jerome,” I said.

“We have a long road ahead, Avery,” he said, shaking my hand. “But the law is on our side. Just don’t lose your nerve.”

Rachel and I walked out of the office and into the quiet hallway.

The brass elevator doors reflected the dim overhead lighting.

Neither of us spoke until we reached the lobby.

“Are you really ready for this?” Rachel asked as we stepped out onto the damp pavement.

The smell of rain and wet asphalt filled the air.